District



v (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. S. BOLTON &*R. WILKINSON. PNEUMATICI RAILWAY.

No. 552,231. Pa, tented Deo. 31, 1895.

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H. S. BOLTON 85B. WILKINSON'.

PNBUMATIC RAILWAY. Y

No. 552,231. Patented 13450.31, 1895.

" (N5 Model.)

. l In ANDREW BLRANAMPHOTO-UTHOWASHINONIDC UN TTnD STATES PATENT nuten.

HENRY S. BOLTON AND RICHARD WILKINSON, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFCOLUMBIA.

PN EU NIATIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,231, dated December31, 1895.

Application led March 3l, 1894.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY S. BOLTON and RICHARD WILKINSON, citizens ofthe United States, residing at IVashington, in the District of Columbia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Railwaysand we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improved system of pneumatic railways andmeans in connection therewith for the conducting of compressed air fromthe conduits to tanks on the car, the whole being constructed cheaply,yet its operation being simple and perfect. It has been found thatrailways of this character do not require a very great pressure, itbeing sufficient to supply to the engines just enough air for thepropulsion of the vehicle, although the tanks are charged to give a muchgreater force if desired. From the following it will be seen that wehave arranged the parts as at present described, and illustrated by thefollowing iigures, of whichh- Figure 1 is a section of the conduit,showing a part of the car in section. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of theconduit, showing the connection with the main supply-pipe, the valve,and valve-rod that causes the valve to open when the car is at the pointof supplying the tanks. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the conduit,taken at the point Where a supplystation is located, showing atransverse section of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view ofthe conductor which conveys the air from the conduit to the tanks. Fig.5 is anl enlarged view of the contact-shoe which makes contact with thestationary plate located in the conduit. Fig. 6 is a sectional view ofthe conduit which passes through the slot between the tanks. Fig. 7 is asection of a conduit of the same character, only this one is built up ofseparate pieces of metal; Fig. S, a section of the upper portion of abuilt-up conductor; Fig.9, a diagrammatic Serial No. 505,877. (Nomodel.)

view of a system, showing the locations of the supply-stations along theroute.

Like letters and iigures of reference designate the same partsthroughout the drawings, which form a part of this application.

1 is'an ordinary street-car, such as is used for carrying passengers; 2,the conduit; 3, the yoke; 4, the tracks supported on the same;

5, the slot-rails; 6, the branch pipe from the main 7. The yoke has ashoulder 8 located a 6o short distance from the ground and on which issecured a stationary plate 9, and suitably fastened to this plate wesecure a plate or shoe 10 for making contact with thev movable conductorcarried by the car. This shoe we propose to have of suitable material,so thatv it will give a hard smooth surface for contact purposes.Through the center of these plates is a conduit 11. On the upper side ofthis shoe it has an elongated slot, which on the 7o under side willterminate within the branch pipe 7.

Immediately under the stationary plate 9 is secured a valve-cushion 12of some suitable material, and on the inside of the branch pipe 47 5 7we secure a valve 13, which will iit closely into the seat 12, withspring for returning the same when released. On the stem of the valve isplaced an arm 14, which encircles the valve-stem, and immediately to oneside of 8o the same is secured in a suitable way a lever havingbifurcated arms 15, which will contact with the arm 1&1. This leverextends out through the pipe and at a suitable distance from the sameextends upward a short distance, as shown at 16, causing the pin 60 totrip or throw the said arm 16 down and thereby open the valve 13 toreplenish the tank 17 carried by the car-truck.

The conduit proposed to be used by this 9o system is about like thatused inthe cable and electric systems,with the usual openings at statedplaces to allow workmen to make repairs, duc., that may become necessaryby the constant operation of sucharoad. The yokes are placed the usualdistance apart and are so constructed as to have a projection for thestationary plate. This plate is about five feet long and its free endsrest on the yokes for support, this beingfor the purpose of havroo ing asolid base for the stationary plate to allow the shoe carried by the carto pass up the incline. These stationary plates or stations are locatedat suitable places along the route, say one in every square. The tankscan only be replenished at these points.

It will be seen that to the frame of the truck, which is of the ordinaryeonstruction,we have suspended in a suitable way a tank 17, locatedpreferably between the two axles of the car. To the front portion ofthis tank 17 is secured a suitable casting, which protrudes to the innerpart of said tank and extending outwardly suiliciently to form a bearing18, this bearing having an opening 19 on its under side thatcommunicates with a conduit 2O therein and continuing past, as shown inFig. 4 oi' the drawings, through the wall of the tank and terminatingwith a check-valve 2l te prevent backflow. This bearing has a shoulder22, and suitably secured in or to the same is a rubber cushion to causean air-tight joint. i The bearing terminates in a reduced end and isscrew-threaded for the reception of a nut. The above bearing supportsthe depending hollow conductor and is made of such material and in sucha manner as to resist any thrust that the shoe of said arm fails to takeup.

Referring more particularly now to Fig. 4, it will be seen that aroundthe bearing 18 we place a sleeve on one end of which is suitably secureda rubber cushion, which closes the joint between the bearing and sleeve,and against which we secure awasher 24 by means of a nut 25, which locksthese parts together, but permits the free oscillations of the same, sothat they can always and at all times be in a vertical line,while thatof the car can be to one side. To the end of this sleeve 23, whichterminates in' a iiange-joint 2G, we secure a conductor 27, the upperportion of which is flanged to form the joint 26 and is circular incross section, and extending down from this portion is a flattenedportion 2S, which extends through the slot, which is of the usual widthof about three-fourths of an inch, and terminates at its lower end 29 ina` Connected to the lower portion of the con? ductor is secured a shoeformed of the following parts: Secured to the end 29 of the conductor isa plate 30, equal to the width of the stationary plate 9 in the street,which will be about iive inches in width, and in the center of the saineand to the under side it has a depending ila-nge 3l around a circularopening 33 is a plate that is some distance below the plate 30, and tothe front and rear of the saine it has extending upwardly pins 34, theends of which extend through openings 35 in the plate 30, and to theends of` these pins 34 are nuts 35 to keep the parts locked, and for theregulating of the depth the shoe will depend from said tank. Interposedbetween these two plates and around the pins are placed spiral springs36 for the purpose oi' keeping the same apart when not in contact withthe stationary plate, and with a further object of allowing the shoe,when it comes in contact with the stationary plate, to yield while theshoe is riding along the incline of said plate. This plate 33 has oneach end stays or stops 37, which take any thrust that may be caused bythe velocity of the car coming in contact with the stationary plate.This shoe or plate 33 has also attached to its under side a suitablefacing 38, so that it will not be subj ectcd to any great amount ofwear. As will be seen, these plates have on their under side anelongated slot 29, (say about twelve inches long in actual practice,)and said slot opens into an opening of a much larger diameter, as shownat 40. To the upper side oi this same plate 33 is also attached in asuitable way a casting 41, having a flange extending upwardly thererfromand having projections on the saine for making secure an elasticconnection 42. Between the two plates this connection is held in placeby suitable means, such as a suitable metallic strap. The flexibleconnection is made secure to the plate 30 in the same way, thus insuringa perfect air-tight connection between the two plates. -Within the ribil and toward the center we make a valve-seat 43 and place thereon avalve 44, which is held in place by means of a brace 45 together with aspring 4G.

Referring now to the conductor 27, we propose to take an ordinary pipe,circular in crosssection, and at the point 28 cause the same to beiiattened so that it can go through the slot between the tracks withoutinterference with the slot-rails; but this can be done in other waysthan above 1nentioned-viz., by a conduetor that is built up, say, of twopieces, put together so that the saine result will be attained as withthe other before mentioned, only the lat-ter at their free ends, insteadoi being circular in cross-section, will be as shown in Fig. 8.

lVe propose to place under the seats of the cars tanks that will act inconjunction with the main reservoir and which will be auxiliary. tanksto the same, and are connected together to the main tank or reservoir`under the ear, with a flexible connection 47, so that these tanks, whilestationary with the body of the car, will at all times, while the carrocks from side to side, have a good connection,there being no escapefor the air at this point.

On the top of the main reservoir or tank we propose to place twoordinary cylinder engines E, (shown in dotted lines,) which "will propelthe car. These engines are connected in any suitable way together andhave cocks or valves (which a-re not shown) for the controlling of theamount of air that shall flow from the tanks to the engine.

To sum up the whole system, the operation IOO IIO

is as follows: At a convenient place along the route of our proposedpneumatic railway system will be located a power-station, where thecompressed air will be generated and supplied into the main that runsparallel with the tracks of said road, and which will be kept under auniform pressure at all times, and at suitable places along the saidroute connections will be made from the main supplypipe to the stationswhich are located at suitable places between the tracks, as beforedescribed.

The car that we propose to use is about the same in construction as anymotor-car, with the exception of having a tank carried by the truck andhaving tanks the length of the car under the seats. On the upper side oftank l7 are placed suitable engines that will work an initial pressureof forty-five pounds to the square inch with one-half cut oif. Theseengines will have connections with the main tank, and the latter willhave connection with the tanks in the car. To the face ofthe main tankwe suitably secure a hollow casting, which forms a bearing for thedepending arm 27, and to the bottom of the depending arm we secure theshoe, to the side of which shoe is secured a pin 60, which makes contactwith the valve-arm 16 and causes the saine to be thrown in the directionof the travel of the car, thus holding the valve 13 open i while theshoe is traveling over the station.

The pressure will vary in the car-reservoirs from forty-iive to eightypounds to the square inch, and with this arrangement of pressure we havea margin of thirty-five poundsA to work on without interfering with thepower or speed of the car. It will be seen from the above that thepressure in the tanks might only be forty-five pounds, and with thatpressure the car going at full rate of speed on reaching thesupply-station in the conduit the shoe will ride upon the same. At thispoint the conditions are eighty pounds in the main supply-pipe and itsbranches, and forty-iive pounds in the tanks, a difference of thirtyfivepounds. The velocity of the discharge due to the pressure of thirty-fivepounds is sixteen hundred and forty-five feet per second, replenishingthe tanks in the small space of time required only by the car passingover said plate or station, as above stated, at full rate of speed.

A pressure-regulating valve (not shown but one that is well known) isplaced in the feed-pipe from the tank to the engine, so that themotorman can control the speed of the car. This is done so as togetauniform speed from the tanks. Of course the car will be started andstopped by any ordinary stopvalve which will be operated from the pointwhere the motorman stands.

The supply-stationsare located about one in each square or about everytwo hundred and fty feet apart along the route of the road, and at thesestations are manholes for the use of workmen to make any necessaryexamination of the stations.

As shown inFig. 9, A is the motor-house; B, the main supply-pipe; C, thestations located in each square.

lVhat we claim is- 1. In a pneumatic railway system, a car having a tankconnected with the propelling means, a tube extending outwardly from andopening into said tank, a check valve contained therein, a dependinghollow arm opening into said tube, and having a sleeve embracing andturning thereon, said depending arm passing through the conduit slot,and provided with means on its lower end to open and close communicationwith the supply main, all substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. In a system of street car service, a vehicle having a tank, a hollowarm depending from the tank, a conduit, a shoe on the arm in saidconduit and having surface plates thereon, a series of stations in saidconduit, each having a station plate and a branch connection to the mainsupply main; spring controlled valves controlling the flow of air to thesaid stations, and arms to open said valves and operated by said shoe,said shoe and station plates having elongated openings arranged toregister, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a street car service, the combination with the car having tanks,engines propelled by the contents of said tanks, and means forregulating the amount of air to be supplied from the tanks to theengines, of an outwardly extending hollow bearing attached to the maintank, and having an inwardly eX- tending portion which contains a valveto arrest any outward flow of air, and a downwardly depending hollowarm, through which the air is conveyed from the station in the conduitto the tanks on the car, all substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

A. In a pneumatic railway system, a vehicle having a depending hollowarm provided with a valved shoe at its lower end, said arm mounted atits upper end to swing laterally, and maintain open connection with thetank or engine of the vehicle, all substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

5. The vehicle having a tank, a lateral hollow bearing havinga sideopenin g and a check valve, a hollow depending arm, having a valved shoeat its lower end for the purpose described, and at its upper end havinga journal surrounding and turning on said bearing and confined thereon,all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A vehicle in a pneumatic railway system having the depending hollowarm, provided with a valved shoe at its lower end, and the intermediateflattened portion 2S, increased in width in the line of draft, allsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a pneumatic railway system, a vehi- IOO IIO

ele having` a hollow depending arm provided with a valved shoe at itslower end, a yieldingly held Wearing surface for said shoe, a flexibleinelosing connection 42, between the openings in said surface and theshoe proper, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

S. A vehicle having the hollow depending arm provided with a shoe at itslower end, said shoe being` elongated in the line of movement, andhaving the loiver vertically movable seetion provided with bolts passingup through the body of the shoe, interposed springs 26, in

movable section having elongated slot 29, in its under side, With theinlet port 40, at about the center thereof7 and the Check valves carriedby said section, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof We afx our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY S. BOLTON. RICHARD WILKINSON. Ilfitiiesses:

FRANK O. IYIORIGAN, JOSEPH C. BOYD.

